Cellfire aiming coupons at teens

By Nicole Maestri

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mobile coupon provider Cellfire is looking to expand its advertising customer base to include teen retailers and consumer product makers, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Cellfire users receive coupons and discounts on their cell phones from such companies as Hardee's, Domino's Pizza Inc (DPZ.N), McDonald's Corp (MCD.N), 1-800-Flowers.com Inc (FLWS.O) and Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc (PEET.O).

Speaking at the Reuters Consumer and Retail Summit, CEO Brent Dusing said retailers and others who market to teenagers are looking for new ways to reach customers.

"If you want to reach them (teenagers) with a promotion, it's very difficult to reach them in the paper world, of course, because your customer demographics are not reading the newspaper. They're not checking the mail at home, and they're probably not going to online coupon sites," he said. "But they are on the phone, all the time."

Some 70 percent of Cellfire users are under the age of 35, and Dusing said the company is in talks with advertisers trying to reach teens.

"The ability to drive valuable discount offers to them and drive them into the store, it's a message that's caught on pretty well with the retailers," he said.

Meanwhile, Dusing said Cellfire is also looking to work with packaged goods makers to offer coupons directly to consumers.

CLICKING, TEXTING TO GET A COUPONS